When the IC are coming in hot, digital streams are screaming and the quantum temp is getting close to "cook your brain" levels - it's time to deploy the Decoy program! And Juice, punch some Juice. This update drops a new cyberdeck program - Decoy - to the markets as well as improves the balance of the Hacker's drug of choice, Juice. We've also improved enemy progression, re-added the missing Pistol Silencer 2, remove fraction AP in Tactical Surge (I know! ... cue screaming, ...now ːsteamsadː), fixed File filters to be always remembered and more. So, let's check out Update #90!
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New Program: Decoy
The latest cyberdeck program to hit the digital streets is the Decoy utility program. Decoy I and Decoy II are now available. While this unassuming Utility program offers a small buff to Cyberdeck Shield (temp health) and Armor (damage resistance) its real power is in volunteering to be the first program to be unloaded. If an IC or the Matrix Q-Security Escalation results in an attempt to unload a program, Decoy always goes first, protecting your real programs from being booted out of Active Memory.
As part of the deal we even got a nice new icon for Nuke programs!
A big thanks to the crew on our Discord and other channels suggesting awesome ideas for new Programs!
Enemy Progression
We've started the official grind on enemy progression, rolling out about 40 new tiers that enemies can appear at as you grow in Team Power Level and take on harder and harder missions. Enemies of all sorts have better access to increased HP, better armor, a small set of new Talents and improved options like Critical % to hit in some cases like the Whislter Cult from the Syndicates. So - upgrade those weapons and armors, mercs!
Blue and Turqo Juice Rebalance
We fixed a few things with the initial Juice offerings. These hacker drugs are mind-expanding and powerful but expensive, so their abilities have to justify it.
For Blue Juice, we added a new charge (+1 to 3 total) and improved the buffs to have no duration, it is instant +20 Matrix AP. This makes it less valuable over multiple Turns, but allows you to use it multiple times in a Turn, so you can burn all 3 charges for +60 AP in a single blast.
For Turqo Juice we added an additional charge (+1 to 2 total) so that you can use the item in multiple hot moments. It is very powerful IC blocker, and does not trigger IC responses when taking it, so consider using it the second before you need to take some action and would be slapped by the IC. Including Traps!
Juice on, cowboys and cowgirls.
Missing Silencer 2
For a short minute the Pistol Silencer 2 (WhisperLite) disappeared from the markets. It has returned! We're hard to work on some major expansion in preparation for crafting and this one got bumped in the process.
Also, there was an issue with a similar cause where some enemies who should have had Protection Points to buff their armor suddenly didn't. This is now fixed too.
Nerf Tactical Surge
We've removed the complicated +0.5 AP you could gain from Tactical Surge. Its other buffs are more than enough to stand on their own and from a design standpoint, we've made the call that team buffs can't add fractional AP. We know it hurts, but rip the band-aid off now in EA, it's for the best of the game.
File Filters Now Remembered
They weren't getting remembered in every situation. Now fixed!
Matrix Snoop Confusion
We've improved the description of Matrix Snoop Leverage option and ensured it only appears in missions that have matrix hosts. It is a passive Leverage, so it happens automatically but only affects the first Stage of a mission.
Talent Fixes
We've patched a few issues with Talents as well:
- Hacker's RIPR Compression was restoring incorrect amount of IO.
- Cybersword Lightfoot was canceling itself as soon as you set a movement destination.
- Fixed the first Hacker's class tree upgrade on the right side, it was missing a +3 Matrix AP buff.
v1.6.29 - 5/31/2024
- Added Decoy I and II programs for sale - Utility program volunteers to be first to be unloaded by IC / escalation
- Improved ability for enemies to scale with Power Level, more enemy types scale farther with upgrades to Armor, HP, Talents
- Improved balance of Blue and Turqo Juice - more charges, Blue Juice has no duration, instant AP add
- Fixed Blue Juice and Turqo Juice missing details when looking at item on character roster
- Knight's Tactical Surge no longer grants extra +0.5 AP in upgrade nodes
- Fixed issues with Matrix Snoop Leverage, improved description to be clear it reveals hosts on the first Stage only
- Fixed first small upgrade on right side of Hacker's class tree to be +1 Will and +3 Matrix AP
- Fixed issues with proc-gen missions where Matrix Snoop might incorrectly appear
- Fixed issue with lots of enemies armor Protection Points being stuck at 0
- Fixed issue with Cybersword's Lightfoot Talent always canceling when setting movement destination
- Fixed issue with File filters not always being remembered
- Fixed issue with Hacker's RIPR Compression Talent restoring wrong amount of IO
- Fixed issue with safehouse timeline where paging to the right caused events to space out oddly
- Fixed issue with Pistol Silencer 2 disappearing from markets